The Resurgence of an Iconic Tool: Unleashing Its Power After Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom builds upon the changes introduced in Breath of the Wild, ushering in an exciting new era for Zelda games. While some traditional elements of the series have been left behind in favor of more fitting open-world mechanics, there is reason to hope for the return of a beloved tool from classic Zelda games - the Hookshot.

The Hookshot first made its appearance in Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the SNES, offering a unique twist on the grappling hook concept. Link obtains the Hookshot in the second dungeon of the game's Dark World, and it quickly becomes a vital and versatile tool throughout the adventure. Although the Hookshot was last seen in Wind Waker (or Skyward Sword if we count the Clawshot), its potential to shake up the new open-world style of Zelda gameplay cannot be ignored.

Using the Hookshot to Metaphorically Connect Classic and New Zelda

The Hookshot, introduced in Link to the Past, has remained an iconic piece of Link's equipment in the Zelda franchise. It has appeared in various series titles, including the classic arrow-tipped Hookshot and the redesigned Clawshot from Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. As a symbol of the franchise, it holds as much significance as the Triforce and the Master Sword. The intentional absence of the Hookshot in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, considering the careful curation and calculation behind every aspect of the Zelda franchise, suggests that there is a deeper reason beyond its mechanical compatibility with the open-world gameplay. While the Hookshot may not make sense in an open-world context where Link can climb and hang glide, it serves as a relic of Link's past and represents the "classic" Zelda. By reintroducing the Hookshot, the series could bridge the gap between two distinct eras of The Legend of Zelda and enhance Link's traversal abilities in future games, surpassing what was seen in Tears of the Kingdom.

How a Hookshot Mechanic Could Transform Open-World Zelda

Considerations must be made regarding how the implementation of the Hookshot in a modern, open-world Zelda game would impact overall gameplay balance. Nintendo has previously demonstrated their ability to creatively incorporate potentially game-breaking abilities, such as Tears of the Kingdom, suggesting that the return of the Hookshot and its utility within the expansive open world of Hyrule and potentially expanded dungeons, as seen in TotK, is within the realm of possibility. Looking at FromSoftware's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a modern analog for the Hookshot in Zelda can be envisioned.

Sekiro effectively integrated its grappling hook mechanic by imposing limitations on the surfaces it could attach to and the acceptable distance for attachment. However, it also significantly enhanced verticality, offering new traversal options and revolutionizing approaches to combat encounters. Imagining the Hookshot's reintroduction in modern Zelda, the prospect of grappling to a cliffside and then gliding down into an enemy encampment, swiftly navigating in and out of danger, seems almost too good to be true. While the Hookshot is a staple of older Zelda games, there is no reason for it to remain relegated to the past.

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now for Switch.